Eight poems by National Artist Rio Alma turned into songs in celebration of 80th birthday
While the possibility of heavy rains loomed outside , inside there were only bright smiles and hopeful sighs as creativity and artistry flowed freely around the standing room only Corazon Aquino Hall of St. Scholastica's College in Malate, Manila.
Prof. Greg Zuniega, who created original music based on the poetry of National Artist for Literature Rio Alma.
It was a surprise even to Professor Greg Zuniega--who had taught at St. Scholastica's College for the past 25 years--as people stood along the aisles and at the back for this musical concert. The composer presented original music based on eight literary works of Almario as part of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) "Himig Hiraya: Mga Awit mula sa Tula ni Rio Alma".
The poems that were turned into songs include "Pastoral", "Katulad ng Pipit", "Kung ang Tula ay Bulaklak", "Mga Bagyo", "Ang Guro Ko", "Dalamhati", "Mga Laruan", and "Kasinlinis ng Baris mo ant Pag-ibig", which perhaps drew the loudest reaction from the crowd.
There were also discussions on Almario’s poems, which was led by literary artists Abner E. Dormiendo, Clarissa Villasin Militante, John Iremil Teodoro, Jazmin B. Llana, Mikka Ann V. Cabangon, Nikka Osorio Abeleda, Paul A. Castillo, and Susan Severino Lara.
The "CCP Himig Hiraya" is directed by lawyer and Palanca Hall-of-Famer Nicolas Pichay and hosted by Professor Rebecca Marquez. The event is led by the CCP Intertextual Division in celebration of Book Development Month this November.
The event was made possible in collaboration with Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas (UMPIL), Linangan sa Imahen, Retorika, at Anyo (LIRA), and St. Scholastica's College Manila headed by its president Sr. Rosario Obiniana, OSB. San Anselmo Press held a mini book fair featuring works and books by the National Artist.
"For a musician, the greatest challenge has been in making phrases work in consonance with the music as some lines are short, some are quite long," said Prof. Zuniega, a product of the Philippine High School for the Arts and the University of the Philippines, and took further studies at the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory and the Royal College of Music (London UK).
During the concert, he was accompanied by flutist Billy Joel Del Rosario, violinist Sim Zuniega, with soprano singers Ginger Karganilla, Nicole Pugeda, and Yvette Parcon, as well as tenors Etienne Quiminales, Isaac Iglesias, and Vincente Sy. Marcuz Bracia and Ralph Onrubia did a spoken word performance of Rio Alma's works.
Prof. Zuniega would later share a story about how he first encountered the works of the Philippine National Artist for Literature.
It was in 2004 when Prof. Zuniega was asked by the late poet Ophelia Dimalanta to write music using her poem so that it can be performed during her book launching of collected poetry. Prof. Zuniega chose to write the music to Dimalanta’s poem “Mother’s Grief”, which was translated into Filipino as “Dalamhati” by Rio Alma, who the composer then met at the aforementioned book event.
"Ako po ay hindi makata, madaming malalalim na salita doon... pero bilang isang musiko, nung binabasa ko ang mga tula jiya, may naririnig ako na musika," said Prof. Zuniega. "Napakaganda po ng ating sariling mga tula at musika at sana ay patuloy nating mahalin ito."
This was not the first time, however, for Prof. Zuniega to perform one of the pieces as during the graduation rites of the Philippine High School for the Arts where he is the director, he and his team had already presented "Kasinlinis ng Batis mo ang Pag-ibig”. Almario was guest of honor at the event as well.
Thus, the CCP supported the idea of a further collaboration between the poetry of Almario and the music of Zuniega and it made even more sense to do it this year as the National Artist turned turned 80 last March.
"Rio Alma’s poems are so varied and possess different moods and emotions," Prof. Zuniega shares. "The poems themselves will readily inspire a listener, although once in a while, one would encounter Filipino terms that are not normally used by Filipinos of this generation. However, once this difficulty has been resolved, one would realize that these poems are gems and as such, are the works of a genius." By Dexter R. Matilla
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